American Wife
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Buzz Interview: Curtis Sittenfeld, Author of American Wife
This week, author Curtis Sittenfeld's new book American Wife hits book stores near you. The book is inspired by the life of Laura Bush, and a few weeks ago, when I was about halfway through American Wife, I chatted with Sittenfeld about the controversial aspects of the book, how this epic American tale is a departure from her previous two books, and what's going on with the movie version of Prep!
Buzz: This character, Alice Blackwell, is intriguing and sexy, and generally those terms are considered mutually exclusive from the first lady.
The Sittenfeld Book Debate: Should Laura Bush Be Off-Limits?
My friend Citizen sparked a lively conversation yesterday around an upcoming book by Prep author Curtis Sittenfeld titled American Wife. The novel follows a character named Alice Blackwell who is based on Laura Bush, and many of the first lady's real-life experiences are included.
I was intrigued by the strong reactions that spread across the Web yesterday, especially after Radar posted several sex scenes from the book that earned the unpublished novel descriptors like "steamy" and "tawdry."
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Snap Judgment: Emmy Odds and Ends
I've already told you my thoughts on the drama and comedy nominations for this year's Emmy awards. But I didn't want to neglect the many, many other categories, so I've picked out a few of the best, worst, and most bizarre:
- Wow, I guess I should have watched "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," huh? Seventeen nominations, and I've got nothing intelligent to say.
- The single greatest category in this year's Emmy awards: Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.
Away We Go: Happy to Come Along
Away We Go starts with a sex scene. There's no nudity, it's not overtly graphic, but it's unexpected and a bit jarring. It's certainly not the overture I was predicting.
Up: Another Major Pixar Success
From the press notes handed out at my screening of Up, I learned that Walt Disney believed that for every laugh there should be a tear, a sort of Newton's third law of entertainment. If he were around to see this movie, which upholds that "law" to a T, I have a feeling Mr. Disney's head would swell with pride — and perhaps take him up into the air like one of the many colorful balloons in the movie. See?
CBS's Fall Plans: Four New Series and a Rescue of Medium
CBS swooped in after NBC canceled Medium and picked up the Patricia Arquette drama at its Upfront this morning. Medium joins four other new dramas on CBS's Fall schedule, which seems downright reasonable after, say, ABC's 11 new series.
CBS's newcomers are the NCIS spinoff with LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell; Three Rivers, a medical drama about organ transplants headed by Moonlight's Alex O'Loughlin; The Good Wife, starring Julianna Margulies as an attorney who goes back to work after her husband's public scandal; and Accidentally on Purpose, a comedy starring Jenna Elfman as a movie critic who gets pregnant from a one-night stand.
Fox's Fall Schedule: More Dance, More Dollhouse
Fox kicked off network Upfront week in New York this morning by announcing its Fall schedule, and here's a headline right off the bat: So You Think You Can Dance, Fox's summertime dance competition show, is getting a Fall edition as well.
The show will air in an American Idol-like fashion, with a two-hour performance show on Tuesdays and a one-hour results show on Wednesdays. That Wednesday show will lead into Glee, the musical dramedy that has its sneak peek after Idol this week.
ABC's Fall Plans: Betty on Friday, 5 New Shows on Wednesday
ABC kept Upfronts going on Tuesday by announcing nearly a dozen new shows for next TV season. In total, the network picked up six dramas, four comedies, and a new reality series for Fall and midseason.
Among returning shows, the biggest news is the move of Ugly Betty to Fridays at 9 p.m.
Danny Gokey: "I Didn't Get Into This For the Money"
Danny Gokey was an early favorite on American Idol this season, but his path stopped just short of the finale when he was eliminated on Wednesday. This morning, he spoke with reporters about his big post-Idol dreams: the Milwaukee-based singer said he wants to "start a movement" with his music, combining it with the goals of Sophia's Heart Foundation, which he started in honor of his late wife. He also sized up Kris and Adam heading into next week's finale and clarified that no, he's not taking money from LensCrafters for making that heart symbol with his hands.
American Idol Elimination: Season Eight's Top Three!
Where has all the time gone? We're down to this year's top three on American Idol! As expected, Adam basically kicked rock night's butt on Tuesday, while the rest of the contestants had their highs and lows (I can't get that Gokey scream out of my head).
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